spark plugs on fiesta snapped

[mikeyb10supra]

Got a real problem guys and need some real quick advice before I have to get it in to the garage to have the block apart :(
ive just been servicing the girlfriends fiesta and the plugs are seized solid.....gave them a caining with wd-40 and teased them with the ratchet and run the car up so it was nice and warm and when I tried to undo the first one it has sheared clean off including the thread as well (this was with minimal pressure). Im really in the sh*t here guys so any ideas on how to tease it out would be greatly appreciated.

[RiceRocket]

Didn't win the lottery last night then? :p

[TrickTT]

What sort of Fiesta are we talking about?
If its a 16v one with well recessed plugs, sorry to say you are probably buggered, head off and drill it out.

[simbasupra]

what age is the fiesta? looks like it is a common problem, have a read through this, might help you out.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=7584

[merckx]

I would use a screw extractor, drilling a hole in the spark plug first and then screwing in the left hand screw extractor which will loosen the plug.

Heating the broken sparkplug with a blow torch may break the seal between the plug and the cylinder head, but you'll need a hot torch to do this as the head will dissipate the heat.

I'm not sure who makes the best extractors, some are too brittle and will shear off in the spark plug. Chris Wilson would give you some good advice as I can imagine he's encountered this problem a few times.

[b'have]

Its a head off job :(

[mikeyb10supra]

What sort of Fiesta are we talking about?
If its a 16v one with well recessed plugs, sorry to say you are probably buggered, head off and drill it out.

its a 1.3 not zetec, think it is 16v...im going to have a bloody good go at getting it out before I resign to having the block apart, I guess the only saving grace is, its not on the supra so will be a hell of a lot cheaper to repair

what age is the fiesta? looks like it is a common problem, have a read through this, might help you out.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=7584

Just seen that, im going to follow one of the guys posts on there and hope for the best

I would use a screw extractor, drilling a hole in the spark plug first and then screwing in the left hand screw extractor which will loosen the plug.

Heating the broken sparkplug with a blow torch may break the seal between the plug and the cylinder head, but you'll need a hot torch to do this as the head will dissipate the heat.

I'm not sure who makes the best extractors, some are too brittle and will shear off in the spark plug. Chris Wilson would give you some good advice as I can imagine he's encountered this problem a few times.

Thanks for the tips, i will give it a go if all else fails, hopefully chris will pop up with some advice shortly

[mikeyb10supra]

Right sorted it finally, with massive massive thanks to Steveyboy (I owe you a few mate), he managed to pick up a torx t55 head and we hammered it into the plug holes and screwed the remaining threads out....needless to say the plugs were pretty shagged, all 4 snapped with little pressure from the wrench so all needed hammering and twisting out. still a few bits of ceramic in the plug holes so needed a few cranks to blow the broken ceramic out and will need to get the hoover in there tomorrow to suck everything out. Lucky that all chambers are fairly dry so the bits are not all stuck in there

Phew :cool:

[simbasupra]

Good to hear you got them out, let us know if it runs ok when you start it up.

[mikeyb10supra]

Good to hear you got them out, let us know if it runs ok when you start it up.

will do....im hoping to get as much out as I can and hopefully any other microscopic bits will get blasted out the exhaust

Fingers crossed :(

[merckx]

will do....im hoping to get as much out as I can and hopefully any other microscopic bits will get blasted out the exhaust

Fingers crossed :(
Fit a narrow clear polythene tube to the nozzle on the vaccuum cleaner and stick it into the cylinder via the sparkplug hole.

[mikeyb10supra]

Fit a narrow clear polythene tube to the nozzle on the vaccuum cleaner and stick it into the cylinder via the sparkplug hole.

good thinking, I will try and figure something out shortly, I was going to just hold the vaccum over the cylinders and get someone else to crank the car over. Any ideas on what to use?? something like a mcdonalds straw or something

[Pot]

I was going to just hold the vaccum over the cylinders and get someone else to crank the car over.

By hand, or off the starter?

[mikeyb10supra]

off the starter but with the coil diss-connected and fuel pump fuse taken out just for safety sake, had a right day of it today :( 20 min job turned into a full day fiasco

[merckx]

B & Q sell the plastic tubing in different sizes. :)

[mikeyb10supra]

B & Q sell the plastic tubing in different sizes. :)

Cool.....ive just made a funnel out of a few plastic cd sleeves I had lying around and its come out perfect tbh, I had a tube like attachement with the vaccum and have shaped and taped the plastic on the end and looks perfect and is just the right size to fit down into the cylinder. Will give it a go tomorrow morning

Thanks for the pointers, I wouldn't have thought to do that

[b'have]

Reminds me of Apollo 13 !:d

[Stevie Boy]

Just thought i'd let you know Mikey your Mk4 fiestas not a 16v, it's an 8v, with the similar 8v ol lump with the cast iron head Ford "revised" and used in the KA.

Even a nice little diag of your inlet and exhaust valves with the relevant valve clearances on your cam cover should you ever wanna have a stab at doin you valve clearances...............
.........second thoughts leave em well alone mate.:shock:

[mikeyb10supra]

Even a nice little diag of your inlet and exhaust valves with the relevant valve clearances on your cam cover should you ever wanna have a stab at doin you valve clearances...............
.........second thoughts leave em well alone mate.:shock:

I think I will mate, with my track record of turning a 20min job into a 3-4 hour job, I will leave it to someone else ha ha

[mikeyb10supra]

urrgh now developed another problem, now the engine is making a tapping noise that increases with engine speed ie gets faster with revolutions......it sounds like pinking so im hoping and praying that the leads are arcing out on something and causing the click, click, click noise

Any other veiws....im pooing my pants in case its something I missed in the cylinders :(

[mikeyb10supra]

wondering if the old plugs were so bad that its now highlighted another problem with the timing or tappets because the spark is so much more efficient

[keancy]

had a right day of it today :( 20 min job turned into a full day fiasco

Sounds like one of my Husbands days, whenever he does a 20 minute job it turns into disaster :blink:

Hope you get it all sorted soon.

[Supra_Dori]

saved there big time, nothin worse than when sh*t like that goes wrong

[Chris Wilson]

Sounds like a bit of broken plug is now fused into a piston top and hitting the quench band area of the head. You could just carry on running it, it may dislodge, or it may just hammer a clearance for itself. Not good practice, but as you have a dislike for pulling the head.... :)

[mikeyb10supra]

Sounds like a bit of broken plug is now fused into a piston top and hitting the quench band area of the head. You could just carry on running it, it may dislodge, or it may just hammer a clearance for itself. Not good practice, but as you have a dislike for pulling the head.... :)

oh bugger :( I guess the only way to tell is to inspect the cylinders again tomorrow then. Chris would there be anything else worth checking in the morning that might be a cause of this tap/clicking noise? Also I guess its stripdown, new pistons/head if not :(

[Chris Wilson]

If it were mine I'd have a look in the cylinders with a good endoscope. Most garages have cheap horrible things, you need a medical quality one. Some race engine bulders will spend the money on good ones, they start at about 1500 second hand... If you were nearer I'd have a look for you. Removing the broken bit and dressing the damage with a fine file should sort it. This assumes that the cause of the noise is what I guessed. Sounds very likely though.

[mikeyb10supra]

If it were mine I'd have a look in the cylinders with a good endoscope. Most garages have cheap horrible things, you need a medical quality one. Some race engine bulders will spend the money on good ones, they start at about 1500 second hand... If you were nearer I'd have a look for you. Removing the broken bit and dressing the damage with a fine file should sort it. This assumes that the cause of the noise is what I guessed. Sounds very likely though.

Great, cheers for the info Chris, I guess if I had give it to a garage anyway the head would have come off to remove the snapped plugs so I guess I was buggered either way whatever I chose to do. Thanks for the advice though, im taking it, if it is as you have predicted, the head is coming off regardless if I am to get to the piston tops, not sure I can afford an endoscope for a one off job, shame your not up the road :(

[mikeyb10supra]

Hi Guys


URGENT request.....if anyone knows of a good 1.3 fiesta engine for sale, could you stick the link my way, its a 1.3 HCS endura-e engine im after from a 1.3 fiesta (1995 model)

cylinder is full of oil and bore scored :cry:

Cheers

Mikey :( :(